Introduction

DJ EXPO 2014: Back in the day, entering the world of DJing was a straightforward business. All you needed were the best turntables you could afford (Technics SL-1200s if you were lucky, a pair of belt-driven monstrosities if you weren’t), a mixer, a few records and you were set.

These days, the array of available setups is nothing short of bewildering. In addition to turntables, we now have CD decks, laptop software, digital vinyl systems, apps... the list goes on.

With myriad options, even more experienced jocks can suffer from analysis paralysis. If you’re a newbie, the situation can be even more confusing. Some of these items can be pretty expensive, too, so it’s advisable to find out exactly what kind of setup would best suit your particular requirements before you splash out.

In this guide to the plethora of hardware and software available, we point out the pros and cons of seven different approaches. Once you’ve digested the following, you will find yourself in a more informed position and, hopefully, feeling slightly less queasy about shelling out hundreds - if not thousands - pounds on your new setup.